Do you match your handbag to your shoes or to your dress?

This week I got an aqua handbag and it’s beautiful, I so love it and I urge you to forgive me if I obsess on the aqua colour for the next 1-month or so as I can’t help it. But I have earned it bearing in mind that I had to put in a whole days worth of work to pay for it!

I don’t know where this saying came from but I do remember hearing that your handbag should match your shoes. I have to admit that it works perfectly in most cases. Picture this, you are bored and don’t feel like dressing up but you have to leave the house for an informal meeting with the gals. So you quickly grab a black pair of jeans and the only shirt that doesn’t need ironing is black. Ideally that would be too much black right? Makes you look like you are mourning.

But we are not done with the look yet, if you put on an aqua pair of shoes and an aqua belt that looks smashing. Or try red, a red belt and red shoes be it flat shoes or stilettos!! Believe me, you will make heads turn.

Now if you go a step further and accessorise just a bit! with the red or aqua, get a red necklace with average beads. That looks nice on anyone regardless of age or size. It’s easy to achieve and it looks great even without the accessories. If you don’t want the red belt you can carry a red handbag. That’s even better so the shoes actually match the handbag. I would go for the red shoes and red handbag but I have seen the red belt and red shoes look a couple of times and its great. The trick about the red belt is you would need to tuck in your shirt or if you own a hip belt you can have it on the un-tucked shirt.

For a wedding ceremony the bridesmaids’ clutch bags should ideally match the shoes to give a feel of coordination and uniformity. However if the clutches match the posies and the dress then a different coloured shoe can work.

But matching shoes and handbags doesn’t always work. And my bet is, that’s the main reason many gals insist on black and brown hobo bags because you can pull it off without any thought. Anything goes with a black hobo, anything!! From wearing sneakers, low heels, stilettos, boots etc.

A briefcase bag, grab bag or clutch bag definitely wouldn’t go with sneakers. A duffel bag and stilettos aren’t perfect partners either and this is debatable but surely clutches and flat shoes aren’t a fashion statement! Satchel bags and totes would be great with sneakers and flat shoes as they are all practical.

Some ladies match the handbag to the dress and then have the liberty to wear a different coloured pair of shoes. I have seen this look many times and I think it’s beautiful. The shoes create a contrast and create the diversion making the look well thought out and elegant.

Having said that I must add a disclaimer and say don’t over match otherwise it will be judged as fashion faux pas and that doesn’t flatter. Simplicity is best and everyone has a style judgement deep down so once you are all dressed up, look yourself in the mirror and your first thought is more often than not the right impression.

If you feel have more than 3 bright colours then perhaps you should neutralise. It wouldn’t be a good idea to for example wear a red dress and red shoes and a red bag unless you are in a movie premier and all cameras are on you. It looks attention seeking as opposed to elegant.

I realised no one can teach me how to match; I have to trust my instincts and get on with it. Your mirror never lies so if you don’t like what you see, neutralise it. 

Handbags need some TLC too!

Today we will be discussing handbag care as well as some tips on how to keep your handbag shapely and wrinkle free while making it last a lifetime.

But before we get onto that I would like to let you know that am currently working on revamping and improving the appearance of this blog. I realize that it’s been quite hard to leave comments and follow us. Hopefully we should get this sorted very soon.

Back to handbags, I pose a question to you, how do you store your handbags? I will tell you how I store mine. Once I have emptied it of all its contents I throw it (neatly of course) into a shelf until I next need it! It’s no wonder they never last more than one year! I hope that you do better than that.

Here are a few tips on how to store your handbag, keep it in shape and hopefully get it to last longer.

Always make sure that you completely empty your handbag before storage. Once you have removed everything from the compartments shake the handbag while holding it upside down to ensure that all the tiny particles are out. Most likely you will find that the bag needs a wipe. You may also find a stain or dust. Aim to wipe your handbag externally at least once a week to keep it looking smooth and glossy and also to get rid of germs. You can wipe it using a soft piece of cloth or an alcohol free facial wipe. Once you have wiped it, let it stand for a few minutes to make sure all the moisture is dry before storing it. There are special cleaning agents for doing a thorough clean of handbags depending on the material. But you will find that if you do your handbag wipe every week you will not need to do a major clean.

Never store your handbag while it's empty. When a handbag is empty it quickly loses shape and elasticity and it looks rugged. Always stuff your handbag before storing it to ensure it stays shapely. You ask what will I stuff it with? Try Bubble wrap, tissue or anything that will not stretch the bag too wide. Remember we stuff it just enough to be able to stand upright! The stuffing in addition to maintaining shape will keep away dust from the interior of the bags.

Ideally, with every handbag purchase you make, you should get a dust bag in which to store the handbag. But as most of us know that’s not the case. The first time I bought a handbag and was given a dust bag I asked the shop attendant what is that? That was less than two years ago! And thankfully they were patient enough to dispel my ignorance. If your handbag doesn’t come with a dust bag you can improvise with stuff such as cotton sheets or pillowcases but not plastic bags. Plastic bags have a drying effect and will not be ideal especially if your handbag is made of leather. Do not store it too tight because it needs to be breathable!

Many gals tend to hang their handbags in the wardrobe with hangers or on coat hooks. While this seems to create space it is a complete NO for handbag storage as it just stretches them out and makes the handles weaker. It will just be a matter of time before the handle snaps.

Depending on the storage space in your bedroom avoid storing handbags next to a window as direct sunlight will damage the handbag material. Sunlight will also cause the handbags to fade and loose luster. This is true for leather and synthetic handbags.

This one I have recently learnt from experience. I have this beautiful hobo with chains and metal bits to it. I stored it right next to my other plain black handbag and when I was removing the hobo, it scratched the handbag and the mark is so big the handbag is now useless. Be careful with the handbags that have chains and metallic bits to them make sure they do not scratch the other bags as you store and remove them. One way would be to cover each of the metallic bits, but practically that would take too much time and energy so the best bet would be to store the handbags having the metallic bits separately.

Next time you look at your handbag think of it as your skin. Maybe not your facial skin as that demands almost obsessive attention. But think of it as your hands skin or your legs. Give it some tender loving care and it will tenderly love you back by lasting long, looking cute and new for a long time. That’s not too much to ask now is it?

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any more tips on how to store handbags and care for them please do let me know. 

Clutch, hobos, totes, Satchels bags or just plain handbag?

Many thanks for those of you who took time to tell me what handbag colours you fancy.

It was great to read that almost everybody is stuck on black and brown. However I would like to challenge you to get yourself a handbag in a colour whose name you don’t even know. That way you will get out of your comfort zone and begin to see a brighter side to yourself!!

I‘ll tell you what; I am so stuck up on the familiar that I have had the same hairstyle since I was thirteen. And I keep telling myself that on my birthday I have to get a new look. I have thought of all sorts of things from belly ring, nose ring, cut my hair to a bob, going bald, you name it including dropping to dress size 8- a miracle for sure!!  2 months ago I thought let me get practical in changing my look so I went and bought animal print accessories (yuck someone is thinking) and also some extra bright orange and green. Well it was a shocker to my eyes when I looked at myself in the mirror but it brought a massive change to ME. Basically what am trying to sell here is that, fake as this may sound bright colours really do something to women of colour! Try it and let me know what you think. Buy a shocking handbag when you next walk into a shop!!

Back to handbag sizes, am amazed at how big handbags are getting. Its progressive and shortly we will be carrying suitcases!! I like sizeable handbags and I will define sizeable for you. My handbag must be able to hold the following items and still have space to look neat: 2 phones, pocket tissue, lip balm, keys, wallet, coin bag, chewing gum, a pen, a mini-pad, pocket Bible, pocket perfume and a sanitary pad. Now that may sound like loads but if you check out yours I can bet you have 5 more items that I don't have!!! See I didn’t have a mirror, powder, comb ……… the list is endless.

One day my friend was rushing to catch the train and as she hopped in, her skirt tore from the back zip to the knee!!! Now don’t ask if it was tight coz I did not see it but, as a result of that experience she has this obsessive behaviour that her bag has to fit an extra skirt or trouser. She always has an extra skirt/ trouser in her handbag, that’s a massive handbag!!

I will start by describing the types of bags that am familiar with and you can tell me if I have left out any.

Clutches:  

Don’t we all love these tiny little things? They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are micro, they literally just hold a lipstick and a phone and they are full. Lately they have increased in size and it’s not hard to get one that’s got a small matching purse inside for make up. Clutches generally do not have handles and are meant to be handheld.

However some are coming with a chain that you can attach and detach as required. People tend to use clutches when going for a dinner party or an event where the card specifies a dress theme.

I have been thinking, why don’t people use clutches when going for example for your Saturday grocery shop? It is classy and if you are like me who goes shopping in a pair of jeans and flat shoes it will be that extra, that boosts your look. If you have a clutch that you save for dinner invitations that never seem to be coming, dust it off and use it more often. Use it even when meeting the gals for a simple fish and chips lunch, spice up your life!

Experiment: In your blue/ black jeans and blue/ black/ white t-shirt, tuck in your clutch bag (whatever the colour) and look in the mirror? What do you think?

Grab bag:     

         

Essentially this is just a clutch bag with a grab handle. Personally I would just call it a hobo bag but it’s called a grab bag and serves the same purpose as a clutch bag.

Its bigger than your typical clutch bag and is easier to carry around.As opposed to clutch bags which tend to come with quite a bit of flare and glitter most grab bags are fairly formal and conservative.

Hobo bags:

These are what you typically see with most ladies. They are the handbags that have handles that you hang over the shoulder. They vary in sizes but tend to be medium and used mainly by people who work in an environment where they don’t carry a lot of stuff e.g. in an office.

When most gals say they need a handbag what they are usually referring to is a hobo bag. Typically an average lady has about 3 hobo bags. They come in various materials that we shall discuss in the future.

Tote bags:

The name tote means, “to carry”. Totes are bags that are bigger than hobos and more often than not tend to have one compartment only. 


Most can fit an A4 book and files and are popular amongst students. Recently due to the campaign against use of plastic bags in supermarkets and retail outlets many are coming up with branded totes that can be reused severally by shoppers.

I do not find them appealing as handbags but are practical for such uses as shopping. Also if you get a leather one it can make a good ipad or laptop bag.

Satchel bags:




These are bags resembling briefcases but having a strap. A favourite of men, they can be hang on the shoulder so that it drops on the hips or strapped across the chest so that it hangs on the opposite hip. 
They come in various sizes and just like totes most can fit an A4 book and a lunch pack.

They are not restricted to men; ladies also tend to use them especially on a day out with children where a hobo would be restricting or to church where you throw in your Bible and notebook. 


The lady styles tend to be fabric as opposed to the men styles that are hard leather. Again there is nothing wrong with a lady buying a hard leather satchel bag. Am not too sure but I think this is what we used to refer to as messenger bag.

Briefcase bags

They are just as their name suggest briefcases but slightly customized to be ladylike as opposed to the imposing and plain type carried by men.

These are executive smart bags normally carried by ladies when going in for meetings or interviews. 

They can fit in a lot of stuff including an A4 sized book, a laptop etc. They come with a short handle but some include a longer strap to allow shoulder hanging. 

When going for an interview instead of carrying a hobo bag and a documents folder for your CV, a briefcase bag would give you the benefit of both.

Duffel bags:

This is one of the hardest bags to define because it has evolved over the years. It’s a bag made of fabric that can hold many things for example gym clothes and that it closed using drawstrings at the top. 


Recently the definition has been expanded to include what we would refer to as weekend bags, you know those bags that look like a large hobos. Many also use them as hand luggage on planes.

I do not think the list is exhaustive but I would like to believe that I have covered most handbag types. Please let me know if I have left out any and if this has been an interesting read for you.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

What colour of handbag do you fancy?

Last weekend i sat in the bedroom and had a good and sober look at my handbags.
I was a tad shocked that there doesn't seem to be any correlation between the handbags colours, materials, sizes and even style. So it got me thinking what makes a gal want a handbag when she sees one.

I need your help here.

I am a conservative gal, you won't catch me with a luminous green bag or sky blue (bright cerulean as the colour specialists call it) for that matter. Actually now that we speak colour i just don't know where all  these colour names are coming from. Last week i heard someone refer to what i would have thought was just plain light blue as Bright turquoise and when i got home i googled it. They were right it does exist and not only that but goodness me there is a colour called capri, oh come on people we are making life so hard.

Now matching colours is already complicated without taking plain blue and dividing it to about 100 different shades but well i am thankful that i don't need to know all that as i religiously stick to black or brown!! The brown i am referring to is what the specialists call traditional brown ha! can't  beat that.

Today my mission is one. To understand how you pick handbag colours.
Do you buy red because you have a red pair of shoes , brilliant lavender because your friends wedding scheme is lavender and you want to match not withstanding the fact that you may never use the bag again or do you buy a neutral colour so that you can carry it monday to Sunday and no one will notice.

Please talk to me and tell me, in your wildest dreams, if you had no budget constrains and you didn't need to match handbags to your wardrobe, what is that one colour of handbag you would pick and why?

Looking forward to hearing from you!!
This should be fun.

Rosekate